Topic: Israeli bombing of Gaza Strip.
Demonstrators in Dubai held up banners with the words "Free Gaza".
Demonstrators lit roadblocks near the Israeli Embassy in Greece.
Angry protesters
Did you inform the United States before the war on the ground?
On the evening of January 3, local time, the UN Security Council failed to reach an agreement on issuing a statement calling for an immediate ceasefire between Palestine and Israel. At the same time, people in Israel, Britain, Germany, Turkey and other places held demonstrations on the 3rd, calling on Israel to stop air strikes. At present, the situation in the Middle East has become more complicated.
reaction
China strongly calls for an immediate cessation of military operations.
Hu Jintao and Bush are on the phone.
President Hu Jintao had a telephone conversation with US President Bush on the evening of 4th. When talking about the situation in the Middle East, Hu Jintao said that China is deeply concerned about the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the intensification of the turmoil in the Middle East, and is deeply worried about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
We hope that all parties concerned will immediately stop military operations and armed conflicts, promote the relaxation of the situation and create conditions for resolving disputes through political means.
On the 4th, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Qin Gang answered a reporter’s question on the current situation in Gaza. Qin Gang said that China is deeply worried about the expansion of conflicts in Gaza, and strongly appeals to relevant parties to immediately stop military operations and armed conflicts, avoid more civilian casualties, and take practical measures to alleviate the humanitarian difficulties in Gaza.
Abortion in the middle of ceasefire agreement
The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting several hours after the Israeli army launched a ground attack on the Gaza Strip on the evening of the 3rd, but failed to reach an agreement on how to end the conflict in Gaza.
The agreement for an immediate ceasefire was proposed by Libya, the only Arab country in the Security Council. After Israel launched a ground attack, Libya strongly appealed to all parties to "follow the ceasefire agreement". Due to the obstruction of the United States in this closed-door meeting, this ceasefire agreement was aborted.
Hamas accuses the United States of manipulating the Security Council. Fazi Barhoum, a spokesman for Hamas, said that this "farce" in the Security Council shows how much control the United States and Israelis have over the Security Council. Abbas, president of the Palestinian National Authority, said that the Israeli invasion would have "serious consequences" for the situation in the Middle East.
Tell the United States before the war on the ground
According to American media reports, a few hours before launching the ground offensive against Gaza, Israel informed Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States, of the ground combat action plan.
The White House said that Bush had listened to the report on Israel’s military action, and American officials kept close contact with Israeli, Middle Eastern and European officials. However, the White House spokesman did not respond to whether this matter was true or not. On the afternoon of the Israeli ground attack, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also held a press conference on Bush’s views on the situation in Gaza. US President-elect Barack Obama, who is still two weeks away from his official inauguration, has yet to respond to the Israeli military action.
There are different reactions within the EU.
Reactions within the European Union to the latest developments in the situation in Gaza vary widely. The Czech Republic, which holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, said that the EU believes that the Israeli invasion of Gaza is a "defensive act, not an offensive act". Contrary to what the Czech side said, the French Foreign Ministry condemned the entry of Israeli ground troops into the Gaza, saying that this dangerous escalation of Israeli military operations hindered the efforts of the European Union, France, the Quartet on Middle East issues and neighboring countries to promote peace. David Miliband, the British foreign secretary, is relatively cautious in his wording, but he also believes that ground attacks will lead to vigilance and fear. He called for a ceasefire as soon as possible. A delegation from Germany, Britain and France began to travel to the conflict zone on the 4th, while French President Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to travel to the Middle East for mediation on the 5th.